Divine Mountain Unyielding Body!
With a burst of energy, Ling Yun launched himself toward the black gloves.
"Courting death!" A seventh-level Cave Heaven cultivator snarled in a fury. How dare a mere Foundation Establishment insect reach for this treasure? She struck at Ling Yun's back, but he used the momentum to speed up even more.
"Impossible!"
Swoosh! Ling Yun snatched the gloves and stashed them into his system space.
"Hand over the gloves, you brat!"
"Kill him!"
A storm of attacks came his way, forcing Ling Yun to grimace as he took the hits, only to vanish into the forest with the residual momentum.
"After him!" A group of female cultivators gave chase but was abruptly blocked by pillars of fire that erupted from the ground.
"Lu, you coward! If you want the artifact so badly, why don't you step up?" Xie Leyao taunted.
"Hmph! Go ahead if you want Jiu Mingming and Wei Yingxue chasing after you for the rest of your life," Lu Ruo sneered before flying off. Hearing those names, Xie Leyao shivered, her greed quickly dissolving.
"An artifact is only valuable if you're alive to wield it," she muttered and decided against the chase.
Ling Yun continued to dart through the forest, not stopping until he was well clear of the area. He swallowed a Recovery Pill and hid in a cave to regain his spiritual energy. The intense pursuit had left him battered and bruised, and blood oozed from several wounds.
He pulled out the Millennium Snow Ginseng, a miraculous healing herb gifted by his master, and braced himself against its bitter taste. Within moments, the ginseng's potent energy flooded through him, rapidly mending his injuries.
"Let's see what this glove can do." Ling Yun put on the gloves, and a stream of information surged into his mind.
Heaven-Born High-Grade Profound level Artifact—Jade Silk Gloves.
It was a Heaven-Born artifact! Unlike human-made artifacts, Heaven-Born ones formed naturally through countless years of refinement by the elements, amplifying their power several-fold. Furthermore, Heaven-Born artifacts could consume similar types to evolve to higher grades.
Studying the gloves, Ling Yun discovered their phenomenal defensive capabilities and noted their ability to release fine, nearly invisible threads, capable of slicing through an opponent without a sound.
However, there was an oddity. The gloves' black lace design made them look like something out of a fashion show. But then again, nature had its quirks.
By the next day, Ling Yun had fully recovered, just as a group of cultivators tracked him to the cave.
"There's a cave here!" one of them shouted, and the rest gathered.
"Blow it open!"
With a loud blast, the cave revealed no one but traces of Ling Yun's presence.
"Damn it, he's gone!"
"He's fast!" they muttered, preparing to leave when suddenly, several of the women felt their vision go dark and collapsed with their heads severed.
"Who's there?" someone called, barely managing to speak before she, too, fell lifeless.
"Quit hiding! Scorching Flame!" yelled Xu Wen, a seventh-level Cave Heaven inner disciple, her flames incinerating the thin silk threads Ling Yun had deployed. Their powers were simply worlds apart.
Seeing that he was outmatched, Ling Yun decided to slip away, chuckling at Xu Wen's frustrated shouts that could no doubt rouse the entire forest.
Just as her voice echoed through the air, a fierce roar answered in the distance.
"What's that?" Ling Yun stopped to watch from his vantage point in the trees as a large, winged white tiger charged at Xu Wen.
"An Albino Flying Tiger! Run!" the other cultivators screamed.
Albino Flying Tigers were born with Foundation Establishment-level strength and, fully grown, could easily match a fifth-level Cave Heaven cultivator. This one was clearly in its prime.
Crunch! The tiger lunged, crushing one of the female cultivators in its jaws.
Xu Wen stood her ground, her techniques meeting the tiger head-on, but the beast's strength was overwhelming. With a swat of its paw, it sent her flying, and after several clashes, she was eventually swallowed whole. Satisfied, the tiger flicked its tail and disappeared, leaving only the gory remains of its victims.
Once it was safe, Ling Yun descended, quickly pocketing their abandoned storage rings.
That's what you get for yelling in public.
...
Over the next month, Ling Yun amassed an impressive collection of treasures: three ten-thousand-year-old spirit herbs, ten Ying Fruits, and other precious resources. The legendary Scarlet Ancestor's legacy, however, remained elusive.
While trekking through the forest, he noticed a large number of cultivators heading in one direction.
"Excuse me, fellow Daoist," he called, stopping one of the female cultivators. "What's going on ahead?"
Initially annoyed, the cultivator softened upon seeing his strikingly handsome face and explained, "Some disciples found a Core Formation legacy, but the cave is sealed by a barrier. They're rallying everyone to break through it and share the rewards."
When she asked if he wanted to join, Ling Yun politely declined, and she hurried off.
"Core Formation legacy," he mused, stroking his chin. Something felt off. Heading into a crowded area filled with ninth-level Cave Heaven elites seemed unwise.
"Better to stay out of it," he muttered, deciding to keep exploring the outskirts of the secret realm, where treasures awaited.